Maine Judge Nixes $1B Hydropower Project Restart

Abstract

A Maine civil court judge has denied utility Central Maine Power's request to reconsider a work shutdown order so it can complete construction of a $1-billion hydropower transmission line through western Maine. The 145-mile New England Clean Energy Connect project would deliver up to 1,200 MW of hydropower from Quebec through western Maine to supply Massachusetts, as part of its clean energy plan. "NECEC will benefit Maine and all New England by reducing the region's dependence on fossil fuels which will result in lower energy prices for Mainers, cleaner air, and improved reliability.Central Maine Power has said that it has already invested $450-million to develop the project.In an Oct. 25 quarterly results call, Catherine Stempien, CEO of Avangrid Networks, parent of its utility developer, told investors that construction would start"soon after the end of the trial" and that the company hopes to have the project in service by 2024.But opponents reject the loss of forest in western Maine. There are no referendums on the 2022 ballot related to the Central Maine Power corridor, says Sandi Howard, spokesperson for the nonprofit Say No to NECEC, which is opposed to large-scale industrial development in western Maine. Some alternatives policymakers are assessing include Con Edison's Maine Power Link in northern Maine, that would also generate 1,200 MW of power. The Maine Public Utilities Commission is expected to select a bid by November. The NECEC project proposed by Central Maine Power with Hydro-Québec Energy Services is designed to deliver hydroelectric power or hydroelectric combined with wind power.